ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 10-27-2013
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ECO-Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes 10-27-2013

Mission Statement: ECOV is dedicated to cow protection and self-sufficiency — all centered around loving Krishna, as envisioned by Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

Participating Members of the Board of Directors:  Anuttama, Chaitanya Mangala, Krpamaya, Madhava Gosh, Navin Shyam, and Ranaka.

Advisors present: Jaya Krsna

1. Manure for Garden of Seven Gates

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to promote the agricultural production of the New Vrindaban community.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes up to a grant of up to $2400 for transporting approximately 30 loads of manure from the Valley Barn area to the Garden of Seven Gates, subject to the following conditions:

1)      The manure be spread in a timely manner;

2)      The project is approved by relevant INV management.

2. Grapple hook for temple firewood

WHEREAS:  The ECOV Board wishes to improve the efficiency with which we are able to perform heavy labor, including processing of the temple’s firewood.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes up to $4K for the purchase of a tractor grapple hook, with the understanding that INV will contribute half of the cost, either in one lump sum or in installments over the next year.  Ownership, maintenance & operation will be with ECOV.

3.  Integrated auxiliary of ISKCON New Vrindaban

ECOV submitted an application to the IRS.  In about one year, we will either receive approval, or will be asked more questions.  Until that time, we can function as an integrated auxiliary.

4.  Flowers / Trees and berries

Flowering shrubs still need to be planted this season, as well as bulbs, which Mukunda Dasi will likely help with.  Work is also progressing on the meditation garden near the temple.

5.  Temple / Lodge foundation beds

The trench alongside the temple is finished.  Edgers need to be purchased.  Brikasanga, who was to help with this, is tied up for now dealing with securing the temple’s winter wood supply.

6. Solar Equipment

A reserve will be maintained for installing a small system at the G7G cabin.

WHEREAS:  The ECOV Board wishes to allocate funding for projects as needed, rather than tying up funds indefinitely.

RESOLVED: The Board reduces the budget allocated for solar equipment to $2K.

7. Valley barn roof repair

Expected to be completed in November.

8. Gopal’s Garden newsletter

A newsletter is still in progress.  Ranaka will remind Ruci that this does not have to be long or complex.  It is more important that it come out regularly to help make people more aware of the school in New Vrindaban.

9. Bottle Filling Stations

More than 19,000 bottles have been filled using the lobby station over the last 1 ½ years, and since May 2013, about 11,000 bottles have been filled at the lodge stations (8,000 at the one closer to the temple, and more than 3,000 at the other).

The water filling stations already approved for outside Govinda’s restaurant and at Srila Prabhupada’s Palace will be installed before next year’s peak pilgrim/tourist season begins.

10. Signs for water bottle distribution

A major remodeling occurred at the restaurant this past year so no bottle display was made, but one is potentially planned for next season.  Also next season, the lassi barn may begin operation again as a snack bar, in which case they would also make bottles available.  We will check back on both in April 2014.

11. Bahulaban pink building

Varsana Swami’s 100 hours of work were not originally detailed, but, upon request he itemized his time, and it was spent on preparing the field where the rubble would be dumped, creating a road for trucks to reach the site, and repairing the dam on the road to the old Vrindaban Farm, among other tasks.

12.  G7G cabin opening / Bahulaban barn closure ceremonies

About 20 devotees, many of them younger members of the community, attended a closure ceremony for the Bahulaban barn.  They shared stories, and were invited to take home parts of the barn as memorabilia.

A group of half a dozen people attended the grand opening of the G7G cabin.

13.  ECOV brochure

Gosh has seen a need for this for some time.  Jaya Krsna suggested that it could be part of a unified presentation of NV in that ECOV could highlight that it focuses on two of the five instructions Srila Prabhupada gave for NV, namely cow protection and self-sufficiency.

WHEREAS: The ECOV Board wishes to publicize our projects and attract more support, financial and otherwise.

RESOLVED: The Board authorizes up to $2K for the design, layout, and writing of a brochure.

14. Bi-annual joint board meeting

The bi-annual joint board meetings will be held from November 8-10 in New Vrindaban.

Sweet Hill Festival
→ The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland

Tomorrow, Sunday 17th Nov is our annual sweet festival. This sweet festival includes an amazing presentation on yoga knowledge by international traveller and monk, Devamrita swami. Tomorrow nights topic will be all about the reality of reincarnation and changing bodies. Sounds cool … Sunday 5pm ..   Why a hill made of sweets? I hear [...]

The post Sweet Hill Festival appeared first on The Loft Yoga Lounge Auckland.

Can Very Peacefully Chant
→ Japa Group

"A devotee can very peacefully chant the holy name of the Lord by behaving more humbly than the grass, being tolerant like a tree and offering respects to everyone, without expecting honor from anyone else. Such qualifications make it easier to chant the holy name of the Lord."

Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24

Nothing but devotional service
→ KKS Blog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 November 2013, Vrindavan, India, Lecture: Damodar Lila)

lamp offering_vrindavanKartik is the month of Urjja Vrata – the vow to offer the lamp to Krsna. But just the lamp, is that all? Obviously, when the lamp is offered, it gives us the opportunity to deeply meditate on the form of Krsna. We offer the lamp to his lotus feet, and then we circumambulate his waist with the lamp, then his face, and then his entire body. In this way, we can offer our lamp and in a very concentrated and in a focused way, drink-in the form of the Lord. Undoubtedly, in this way, we can go deeper into our resolve that there should be nothing but devotional service to Krsna. Nothing else – may that be our absorption.

 

 

 

Up River
→ travelingmonk.com

The other day we visited a quiet and isolated place in Vraja up the Yamuna river. Nanda Ghat is where Krsna’s father was caught by a servant of Varuna for bathing too early in the morning. Devotees loved hearing the pastime how he was rescued by Krsna. The people of the village were curious seeing [...]

a case study
→ everyday gita

Verse 4.27: Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.

If you follow any major news outlet in North America, you've probably heard one name come up quite consistently in the past few weeks - Rob Ford. I bring up this personality today to use as a case study as to what could potentially happen when one does not control their mind and senses.

Mr. Ford, as many of you might know, is quite unbelievably still the mayor of Toronto. After repeated denials, he has finally admitted to binge drinking, smoking cocaine, buying illegal drugs and...well, I'll leave it at that as you can find out more by just Googling if you really want to.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned as an aspiring bhakti yoga practitioner is the fact that everything can serve as a lesson. In this instance, we can learn a great deal from the above-mentioned personality - specifically the consequences of leaving the mind and senses in charge.

One of the greatest benefits of practicing yoga, and specifically mantra yoga, is the increasing ability to control the mind, which is the leader of the senses. The mind, which is constantly accepting and rejecting ideas is perpetually active. That activity, however, needs to be harnessed. And that harnessing power can only come from the intelligence.

It's like a team. All members of a team may have great ideas and in their excitement may start talking over one another. But if the leader of the team is there to harness that energy and creativity, then great things can be accomplished. Without a capable leader, there is potential for frustration and disturbances to arise.

That's exactly what happens if the mind isn't controlled by the intelligence. It spins out of control. This is why discipline and regulation are foundational elements in the practice of yoga. They serve to keep us on track and when the mind starts to wander, the intelligence kicks in and reminds us of the greater goal - to truly connect with ourselves, each other and the Supreme.

For some of us, we've left the senses and mind play the leader for too long and neglected the intelligence. To reverse that situation takes great strength and determination. The key to keeping the inspiration to do so is not expecting results over night. Rather, by approaching every situation as an opportunity for practice, we start to become more aware of our habits and behaviour. It is that awareness that will help us put our intelligence back in control again.

The Honorable Mayor of Baroda grants ISKCON exemption from land increment laws (Album 10 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

The Honorable Mayor of Baroda, Sri Bharat Shah, Standing Committee Chairman, Dr. Hitendra Patel, and a number of Baroda (Vadodara) Municipal Corporation elected representatives visited us this past October on the night when the VMC unanimously passed a resolution "varying" TP scheme 14, granting ISKCON exemption from land increment laws (where we would have had to surrender more than an acre of our present property). Read more ›

As the world judges us by actions not dispositions how can we avoid the confusion caused by wrong judgments?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

From Dilip Singh

For two different individuals ,different actions (but maintaining same disposition),creates confusion in their minds and to answer their confusion is again more difficult. World perceives the doer thru his actions & not disposition. Typical eg. is Bali and Sugriva. So prabhuji, need your explanation to get rid of this confusion.

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